Echolocation Location

Nottinghamshire Bat Group has received £67,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project called ‘EchoLocation Location’. Led by volunteers from the local community, the project focuses on identifying the distribution and status of bats within Nottinghamshire to help protect the key habitats and sites which these charismatic but often misunderstood animals rely on.

Throughout this three year project the bat group aims to train 100 volunteers from local communities in how to survey and identify bats in their local area, and recruit 150 volunteers to contribute to the production of a ‘Batlas’ publication for Nottinghamshire – this will inform land use and habitat management for decades to come. A variety of survey methods will be employed including bat detectors which can be left in a location for several nights and will record all the bats that pass by. Volunteers will be trained how to use this new equipment and will learn to analyse the resulting data.

Nottinghamshire is home to 10 of the 17 resident UK bat species and two other species have also been recorded but have yet to be confirmed as resident breeding species. Bats are a vital part of our native wildlife, accounting for almost a third of all mammal species in the UK occupying a wide range of habitats, such as wetlands, woodland and farmland, as well as urban areas. They can tell us a lot about the state of the environment, as they are top predators of common nocturnal insects and are very sensitive to changes in land use practices. The pressures they face – such as landscape change, agricultural intensification, development, and habitat fragmentation – are also threats to lots of other wildlife, making them excellent ‘bio-indicators’ of the wider health of our natural environment.

We are now in the final stages of recording for the atlas which will be published in October 2018. Please see our Target tetrads page to find a square to survey

We are changing the start time to 7pm - 9pm, as the meetings always en …

"Bat facts..."

What should I do if bats roost in my house?

Many people that have bat roosts are not aware that they are present. Usual signs include droppings on window sills or on the ground below access points. Bats do not make holes to get into roof spaces they only use gaps that are already there. By far the most likely species to use our houses, especially if your house is post war, is the pipistrelle. Pipistrelle bats like to be in confined spaces and rarely venture into roof spaces much preferring the smaller confines of soffits or those behind cladding on the sides of buildings. If you have any concerns about bats in you house or are planning work which may affect a bat roost please contact The National Bat Helpline: 0845 1300 228. A local batworker will then contact you to arrange a visit.

Mapping Nottinghamshire’s bats

About

Nottinghamshire Bat Group is a group dedicated to the conservation of Nottinghamshire bats.

We welcome enquiries of all types, and new members — we have regular meetings and varied programs.